NFL Playoff Picture 2020: Bracket Scenarios and Latest Odds for Divisional Round

The Super Bowl is the pinnacle of any NFL player's career, but the challenge of reaching it remains one of the hardest in sport.

Of the league's 32 teams, only eight still have a chance of making it to Super Bowl LIV. By the end of this weekend's divisional round, that number will be trimmed to four. We're now getting to the point of the season in which only the elite remain.

Heading into the divisional round, here's a look at the schedule and bracket scenarios breaking down how the conference championship games could look.

Divisional-Round Schedule

Saturday, Jan. 11

No. 6 Minnesota Vikings at No. 1 San Francisco 49ers (-7), 4:35 p.m. ET, NBC

No. 6 Tennessee Titans at No. 1 Baltimore Ravens (-10), 8:15 p.m. ET, CBS

Sunday, Jan. 12

No. 4 Houston Texans at No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs (-10), 3:05 p.m. ET, CBS

No. 5 Seattle Seahawks at No. 2 Green Bay Packers (-4.5), 6:40 p.m. ET, Fox

Odds obtained via Caesars

Bracket Scenarios

AFC

The Ravens are the only team that could guarantee home-field advantage in the AFC Championship Game with a win this weekend. As the No. 1 seed, they'd welcome either the Chiefs or the Texans to Baltimore if they can get past the No. 6-seeded Titans on Saturday.

It's a privilege Baltimore earned by finishing the regular season at 14-2, the best record in the NFL, which it accomplished by winning its final 12 games.

Although the Ravens have won two Super Bowl championships, they've never hosted a conference championship game. So, it would be an atypical benefit for Baltimore, which has frequently had to win pivotal road contests come playoff time.

As for the Titans, they'll have to stay on the road if they can continue their postseason run with another victory. They've played their final game in Tennessee this season, so they'll keep facing hostile environments if they advance.

That wasn't an issue this past weekend, as the Titans beat the Super Bowl champion Patriots in Foxborough, Mass., toppling one of the best NFL franchises of the past two decades. However, it may be a more difficult challenge for Tennessee to win in Baltimore this week.

If the Titans can pull off the upset and the Chiefs beat the Texans, the AFC Championship Game would be in Kansas City. However, the Chiefs would be on the road for that game if they and the Ravens both win this week.

In what would be the most unlikely scenario, it's possible the AFC Championship Game could be in Houston if the Texans and Titans both win. That would set up the third meeting this season between the pair of AFC South rivals.

If the Ravens and Texans are this weekend's winners, then Houston would have to travel to Baltimore.

NFC

The road to Super Bowl LIV in the NFC could go through San Francisco. The 49ers are the No. 1 seed, and they would guarantee home-field advantage in the NFC Championship Game with a win over the No. 6-seeded Vikings on Saturday.

The 49ers had to battle through the final week of the regular season to earn this privilege. They didn't secure the No. 1 seed until they beat the Seahawks in Seattle in Week 17 to capture the NFC West title and finish 13-3.

San Francisco last hosted the NFC Championship Game in the 2011 season, the first of three straight appearances in the game for the 49ers. Their only win during that stretch came in 2012, but they went on to lose to the Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII.

Since its three straight NFC Championship Game showings from 2011-13, San Francisco hadn't even reached the playoffs again before this year.

Minnesota is the only remaining NFC team that can't host the conference championship game. The Vikings started their playoff run by upsetting the Saints in New Orleans this past weekend.

If they win again this week, then they would travel to either Green Bay or Seattle for the NFC Championship Game.

Green Bay would either travel to San Francisco to face the 49ers or host the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game if it wins. The Packers haven't hosted a championship game since the 2007 season.

The only way the Seahawks could host the NFC Championship Game is if they and the Vikings both win this week. Otherwise, Seattle would travel to San Francisco if the 49ers won the other divisional-round matchup.

It would be exciting to watch the 49ers and Seahawks face off for a third time this season, as the NFC West rivals have already played two competitive contests against each other.